In a 56 to 44 vote, the Senate voted to rescind the "Ergonomic Standard" which was effective 1/16/01. Though some will breathe a sigh of relief now that the regulatory rules have been eliminated, there remains some obvious concerns.

Despite Congress's rejection of the regulation, OSHA can still issue voluntary ergonomic guidelines that will set the stage for compliance at some point in the future. Therefore, some companies may be wise to start evaluating their current practices in anticipation of future standards. Additionally, OSHA has the wherewithal to cite employers now under the general duty clause of the act that states that every employer should provide a workplace free of hazards. Remember, OSHA has spent a considerable portion of their prior budget training their inspectors to identify repetitive stress injuries and general poor ergonomic practices.

Last, but not least, despite the absence of any regulatory threat, it simply makes good business sense to protect your employees from injury.

We have developed programs that provide clients with cost effective steps to reduce injuries while not hampering their operation.